Tag: astronauts

Today we mark the birthday of our first president, George Washington, which was actually February 22. The holiday, however, has become widely-known as Presidents’ Day to honor all who have held the office, and so is also an opportunity to remember our 35th president, John F. Kennedy.

In the 1960s, February 22 was a federal holiday, no matter what day of the week it fell (Lincoln’s February 12 birthday, incidentally, was never a federal holiday). On all three times it rolled around during his administration, President Kennedy found time to relax. In 1961, after a series of morning briefings at the White House, he played nine holes of golf in the afternoon, followed by a few more meetings and then dinner at a friend’s home. In 1963, he was at the Kennedy family compound in Palm Beach, Fla. He went to the beach in the morning and cruised on the yacht Honey Fitz in the afternoon.

On February 22, 1962, he was also in Palm Beach. He had flown down from Washington earlier in the day, accompanied by the family of astronaut John Glenn. They would all attend a medal ceremony in Glenn’s honor the next day at Cape Canaveral after becoming the first American to orbit the Earth on Feb. 20.

It was Kennedy’s first visit to the Cape, and he received a brief tour of launch facilities before pinning NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal on Glenn’s lapel. The president would come to the space center on two more occasions during his time in office. We cover all three visits with multi-page photo spreads in our new book, The Space-Age Presidency of John F. Kennedy, along with detailed captions providing the rich historical background for each image. By John Bisney for Retrospaceimages Blog.

This book is now available. Follow the affiliate link below to view on Amazon.

President John F. Kennedy (at bottom of airplane stairs) and members of John Glenn’s family exit Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida on February 22, 1962. Walking down the stairs behind Kennedy are Glenn’s wife, Annie; his daughter, Lyn; and his son David.

“Out of this world: Rare and never before seen pictures provide a unique glance behind NASA’s groundbreaking 1969 moon landing” Luke Kenton The Daily Mail .

We are pleased that our book is getting noticed in the UK. Thank you to The Daily Mail for reviewing our book today.

“50 years ago this July, Neil Armstrong took ‘one giant leap for mankind’ as he became the first human to step foot on the moon’s surface – and now, never-before-seen pictures provide a unique glimpse behind the profound 1969 voyage. “

In a story told primarily through photos and captions, historian Pickering and journalist Bisney (coauthors of MoonshotsandSnapshots of Project Apollo), chronicle 1969’s heady days of “moon fever.” Across 10 well-organized chapters, the selected images capture the country’s mounting excitement; the meticulous preparation of astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins; and finally the moon landing itself and the crew’s return to Earth. Subjects range from the magnificent—the Apollo 11 rocket at sunset or twilight on the launching pad—to the mundane—the astronauts signing rental car forms at a NASA base. Some of the most affecting images are simple portraits of Aldrin, Armstrong, and Collins, which amply capture their discipline and determination. In the introduction, Bisney notes that he and Pickering don’t claim to include any new material from space, as all “in-flight photography” has been publicly available since 1969; NASA buffs familiar with such images may find fresh interest in, for instance, those of the astronauts enduring a 21-day isolation period after their return and then being feted around the world. The reader is left with an ample sense of the astronauts’ fame and, thanks to Pickering and Bisney’s wise selections, of their lasting accomplishment. (Mar.)

Book activity is beginning to pick up with “The Space-Age Presidency of John F. Kennedy” being released next month, and “Picturing Apollo 11” in March. I have been getting book signings lined up. Got a “thumbs up” from folks at National Air and Space Museum and Udvar-Hazy yesterday, just need to get dates coordinated. It was great being in D.C. a few years ago with our previous books. John Bisney and I were joined by our good friend Jacques Tiziou, whom we lost two years ago next month. We also had a surprise visit from Andy Chaikin and Paul Fjeld (at right in photo). Both new books are pre-selling really well on Amazon, and John and I are looking forward to getting out on the road with them.

“The Space-Age Presidency of John F. Kennedy” is an unprecedented photo history book that pulls together more than 520 images for the first time, many previously unpublished, to visually document JFK’s interactions with the American space program. The authors drew from NASA, the US Air Force, Los Alamos, White Sands, the Kennedy Library, and other sources to chronicle his space-related activities and travels from 1961-63. Project Mercury and X-15/X-20 fans will enjoy this book, but it also encompasses the new age of satellites, space probes, and nuclear missiles. Readers will go behind the scenes at the White House and on field trips to military and space facilities around the country as Kennedy explores his nation’s growing capabilities. Each photo is accompanied by a detailed caption providing historical depth. This short video will give you a taste of what’s inside. Authors John Bisney and J.L. Pickering.

The book is available now for pre-order on Amazon with a release date of February 14.